Bikie murder accused 'had other options', court told

Murder accused: Russell Field's lawyer argued his client acted in self-defence and should be acquitted.

ACT Policing

ACT Chief Justice Terence Higgins has reserved his decision in the trial of a Canberra man accused of murdering two men, one of whom was a member of the Rebels Motorcycle Club.

In front of a packed ACT Supreme Court room, the prosecution and defence delivered their final submissions in the judge-alone trial of Russell Field.

In March last year, Russell Field gunned down Gregory Peter Carrigan in the backyard of his Chisholm home.

He then shot dead Richard John Roberts - a senior Rebels Motorcycle Club member - on the street outside.

Prosecutor Alyn Doig told the court, Mr Carrigan's injuries showed he had been trying to defend himself when he was shot at close range.

He said Mr Roberts was between one and two metres away from the gun when it was fired into his face.

He said there was evidence to show the two men were doing home renovations which supported the suggestion that they had gone to Field's home to collect a piece of equipment.

In summing up, Mr Doig told the court Field had used deadly force on the men who were unarmed when he had options to remove himself from the situation.

But Field's barrister, John Purnell SC, argued Field and his family had received death threats from Rebels members which stemmed from his break-up with a woman who had also been in relationships with the two alleged victims.

He told the court, when Mr Carrigan and Mr Roberts showed up at Field's home the accused believed it was a case of kill or be killed.

Mr Purnell argued the accused had acted in self-defence and should be acquitted.